From a Tweet by Bill Shanks, who is down at Disney with the team:
Braves have made former third base prospect Van Pope a pitcher. He always had a plus arm at third base. That has worked before...
Neat. I hope he finds some success in that role.
0 recs | 12 comments
He already hits like a pitcher. Should work out ok.
BravesFan - March 8, 2010
Pope
Probably the right move. Although Pope was literally as good as it gets defensively at third base, he just couldn’t handle good off speed pitching in the high minor leagues.
palioc33 - March 8, 2010
That is the biggest shame, he was such an outstanding defensive third baseman. But yeah, unfortunately that doesn’t help you hit.
cbwilk - March 8, 2010
A future Chris Resop?...
the flexibility of using him as both a reliever and defensive replacement?
Mr. Sanchez - March 8, 2010
It’d be a nice late inning weapon to have. So long as he doesn’t have to bat. The best recent example I can think of is Brooks Keishnick, who started out as an outfielder and first baseman and finished up as a pitcher/pinch hitter. He was pretty good at all of them, but outstanding at none.
cbwilk - March 8, 2010
I hope it works out for him, he seems to be a really great guy.
Rhyno18 - March 8, 2010
hmm
guess this kinda confirms they will move that SS prospect we signed to 3B
drumzalicious - March 8, 2010
Don’t see how. The Braves weren’t counting on Pope before, this is just a further signal of that, I don’t see how it has even the slightest bearing on some other player.
cbwilk - March 8, 2010
Yeah I doubt this has any effect whatsoever on Salcedo. He’ll play shortstop until he proves he can’t handle it. There’s no reason to force a move right now
eaheckman10 - March 8, 2010
and a SS is also much more valuable in terms of trade value. If he can handle the defensive aspects of being a SS, he’ll stay until he has to change positions.
Scott Coleman - March 8, 2010
Also...
gotta be a lot easier to move from SS to 3B (see Gordon Beckham, who played EXTREMELY little 3B before joining the White Sox last summer), than it would be coming up a 3B and trying to shift back to SS. At least I assume SS to 3B is easier to pull off than 3B to SS. Can’t really think of any who’ve done the latter, but quite a few who’ve made the former (ARod, Chipper, Ripken, Beckham, etc).
Mr. Sanchez - March 9, 2010
Uncoachable
He was so hard headed and kept his looooong swing all the way through the minors…he never took playing ball serious enough. He’ll be out of baseball in a matter of months IMO
themurph - March 10, 2010
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